# Incident 20210620008249I: Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB40Z, Littleton, CO, June 20, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 20, 2021, 08:00 local time
- Place: Littleton, CO
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5904° N, 105.0201° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Littleton, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5904&lon=-105.0201&mi=10
- Aircraft: N644CB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N644CB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB40Z (registry code 1370505, https://openairdocs.org/model/balony-kubicek-spol-sro-bb40z) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALONY KUBICEK SPOL SRO BB40Z
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210620008249I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JUNE 20 2021 AT 0800 N644CB, A BALLOON, EXPERIENCE A HARD LANDING DUE TO UNFORECASTED HIGH WINDS AND DOWNDRAFTS. PASSENGERS EXPERIENCED MINOR INJURIES.

WEATHER: WEATHER FORECAST AND CURRENT CONDITIONS CHECKED AT 5:00AM USING MULTIPLE ONLINE DATA SOURCES AND

AVIATION APP FOREFLIGHT. AT LAUNCH SIGHT 3 HELIUM FILLED PIBALS WERE RELEASED TO CHECK AND VARIFY WEATHER CONDITIONS

ABOVE THE LAUNCH FIELD. COMMERCIAL PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I CONSULTED AND AGREED THAT WEATHER WAS FLYABLE.

FLIGHT: NORMAL SETUP AND INFLATION. PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED ON SAFETY ISSUES AND LANDING INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO FLIGHT. DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45AM. FLIGHT PATH TRACKED IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AT 3 MPH TO 5 MPH. AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15AM A 180° WIND SHIFT OCCURED THAT SHIFTED THE BALLOON TO THE SOUTH AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH.

THE FLIGHT PATH CONTINUED OVER THE LAKE SOUTHBOUND AND I REPEATED MY LANDING INSTRUCTIONS WHILE ON OUR TRACK

SOUTHBOUND. AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED SOUTH, DOWNDRAFTS OCCURED THAT THE BALLOON WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME WITH ALL POWER AVAILABLE THAT RESULTED IN IMPACTING THE SOUTHEAST LAKE. AFTER DEPARTING THE LAKE THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TOWARDS PLATTE CANYON RESEVOIR, AN APPROACH AND HIGH-WIND LANDING WAS MADE WHICH ENDED THE FLIGHT. AFTER SECURING THE AIRCRAFT, 6 PASSENGERS AND MYSELF WALKED DOWN THE CANYON TO WATERTON ROAD. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WAS AT THE SCENE TO EVALUATE ALL PASSENGERS. THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES TRANSPORTED ALL 6 PASSENGERS BACK TO THE BALLOON PORT PARKING LOT.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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